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Guess the Condiment That Might Help You Burn More Fat

Condiments usually have a bad reputation for added calories and fat. But, experts have long speculated that one in particular could have some positive slimming effects. Want to take a wild guess (nope, it's not mustard)?

**** Tabasco!

Well, any spicy sauce in general, actually, may score you some points if you're trying to slim down. According to The Times Online, "...more interesting is the research that has already been carried out on small numbers of volunteers at Oxford Brookes University, which shows that 5g of Tabasco sauce eaten with a meal can raise your metabolic rate (the speed at which you burn calories) by between 15 per cent and 20 per cent for up to two hours after eating."

Past research indicates that capsaicin, a substance found in red chili peppers has metabolism-revving effects, and health experts I've talked to, including CNN's Melina Jampolis, M.D., say that there may be something to this.

Do you like spicy food? Will this make you want to kick it up a notch?